This Southwest Portland walk is a short 1.7 miles, but packs a lot of up-and-down punch in that distance! The highlight is a walk across the Vista Bridge, a Portland landmark. Also of note are panoramic views of downtown Portland and beyond, many historic mansions, and some long public (and, in one case, quasi-public) stairways.
The walk starts at the corner of SW 20th Ave. and Salmon St. in front of the Multnomah Athletic Club, a Portland institution. Among its most notable accomplishments - the original construction in 1926 of what is now Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers, immediately to the north of the club. The club retains "end zone" seating for use of its members to watch Timbers matches and other events in the stadium.
Across 20th Avenue from the Multnomah Athletic Club is one of several high-rise apartment and condominium buildings in the Goose Hollow neighborhood. This one, the
2020 building, consists of apartments for rent. It was built in 1963.
Go west on Salmon Street to King Avenue, then turn left. On the left, at the corner of Salmon and King, is the Durham-Jacobs House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. This Queen-Anne style home was built in 1890.
Continue on King Avenue into the King's Hill Historic District, full of old Portland mansions. This Federal style three-story home is located to the left, after the Durham-Jacobs House. It was built in 1896.
Continue on King Avenue. To the right, on the up-hill side of the street at the corner of King Avenue and King's Court, is the W.R. Mackenzie home, on the National Register of Historic Places, constructed in the 1890's.
Looking straight ahead, at the end of King Avenue, is this beautiful 1909 mansion.
Turn right onto Kings Court, a narrow street, but with very little traffic. Four houses down, this 1905 home is located on the down-hill (left) side of the street.
On the right side of the street is this odd forest of bamboo trees. It's unclear whether the garden is associated with the next building on the right, at the corner of Kings Court and Vista Avenue, the
Portland Garden Club.
Turn left onto Vista Avenue. Straight ahead is the Vista Avenue Viaduct, popularly known as the
Vista Bridge, which was constructed in 1926. This bridge replaced an earlier streetcar bridge, which replaced a cable car along 18th Street. The sign in the foreground of this picture attempts to dissuade would-be-suicide jumpers from the bridge - 13 people jumped to their deaths from 2004 to 2011.
As you cross the bridge, your panoramic views of downtown Portland to the east and the Portland West Hills to the west are marred by a large chain-link fence. While taking away from the view, the fence has also greatly reduced suicide jumping from the bridge since its installation in 2011.
Continue over the bridge on Vista Avenue, and follow the roadway as it winds into the West Hills. After the Market Street intersection, on the right, is this trail up the hill. Take the trail.
The trail ends at Prospect Drive. Turn right and then follow Prospect as it loops to the left. The street has very attractive houses and also panoramic views of downtown Portland and beyond.
Continuing on Prospect, this modern house on the right stands out among the more traditional styles prevalent in the neighborhood. Also of note is that this home is directly above the
Vista Ridge Tunnel, which has carried vehicles on the State Route 26 freeway to and from downtown Portland since 1969.
Across the street from the modern house shown above is this grand English Tudor mansion, built in 1924. After viewing this home make a sharp right onto Montgomery Drive. Follow Montgomery past more beautiful homes to Carter Lane, where you will take a left.
Carter Lane tees into Vista Avenue, where you will turn left. Continue down Vista as it curves around. This mansion on the uphill (left) side of the street was constructed in 1908.
Eventually you will come to this stairway down the hill on the right. Take the stairway and head down.
Eventually the public stairway ends. You will see this sign, indicating that the continuation of the stairway is on private property, but you are welcome to continue at your own risk. Continue down the stairs, being mindful that you are crossing somebody's yard.
The private stairway eventually empties onto Mill Street Terrace. From this street you can view the east portals of the Vista Ridge Tunnel, carrying Highway 26 traffic to and from downtown Portland. Look back up the hill at this hillside home towering above you.
Turn left on Mill Street Terrace and continue down yet another stairway. This one is public.
This stairway includes some more panoramic views of downtown Portland, and also some more spectacularly precarious hillside homes!
The bottom of the stairway dumps onto Market Street. Turn left and walk for a couple hundred feet along Market. There is quite a variety of hillside architecture on display, both old and new.
On the right you will come to yet another stairway down the hill. Take the stairway, which connects Market Street with SW 20th Avenue at the bottom. In the Summer of 2015 a "notice of proposed development sign" was located to the left of the stairway on a very steep slope, indicating a future multi-family residential development was being considered for approval by the city.
At the bottom of the steps, on the left, is this imposing home. It is the
Kamm Mansion, one of Portland's oldest remaining structures. This French Empire-style home was built in 1871 on SW 14th Street. In 1950 it was moved to this location to make room for the construction of Lincoln High School. After many years of neglect it has been restored and is presently home to
Alliance Francaise, best described as a French language school and cultural center.
Continue down SW 20th to Jefferson Street, then turn right after crossing the street. Across the street is the Goose Hollow MAX station, on the light rail line to Hillsboro and Beaverton. Goose Hollow got its name from the practice early residents had of letting their geese run free here and in the canyon to the west, which is now home to Highway 26 and the Oregon Zoo.
Turn left onto 19th Avenue and proceed north for two blocks. After one block, on the right, is the Legends Condominium building, constructed in 1997.
On the left side of this block is vacant land owned by the Multnomah Athletic Club. Originally containing houses, it was bought up by the club and turned into a surface parking lot in the 1960's. The lot was removed when the Club built its parking structure on the next block over. It is now the site of a
controversial housing development that includes more parking for the club.
Turn left on SW Main Street, then right on 20th Avenue to return to the starting point for the walk.
